Philadelphia Airport Parking

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Guide to Philadelphia Airport

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the largest airport in the state of Pennsylvania, set partly in the city of Philadelphia and partly in Tinicum Township, Delaware County.

Carrying over 30 million passengers annually to 130 destinations including the US South, Europe, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East, Philadelphia International acts as one of American Airlines' major international hubs and is also a focus city for Frontier Airlines.

Estimated to create a financial impact of $14 billion by bringing 141,000 jobs to the region, the airport is a critical part of the metropolitan and state economies, since it is the only major airport in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the USA. PHL is one of the fastest growing airports in the USA and continues to invest to maintain that position.

Location of Philadelphia Airport

Approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Downtown Philadelphia, PHL Airport sits next to the I-95 that connects all of the major East Coast cities with New York to the north and Baltimore and Washington DC to the south. It is well-connected to Philadelphia by rail, bus and road routes and the city center is only around 30 minutes away by most modes of transport.

SEPTA runs a train service from Center City to the airport, which connects to the rest of the network at University City, 30th Street, Suburban and Jefferson stations. Amtrack and NJ Transit services also connect at 30th Station if you're traveling from outside the area. SEPTA also provides the local bus routes, with lines running to the airport from South Philadelphia, Chester, 69th Street Transportation Center and Suburban Square in Ardmore.

History of Philadelphia Airport

Established as a National Guard training airfield in 1925, Philadelphia Airport was quickly re-designated a municipal airport but experienced little use or development until 1940. Adding the first terminal building to the site quickly attracted major carriers including United, TWA and Eastern, with American Overseas Airlines providing the first international route non-stop to Europe.

Things continued to move slowly until the 1970s when a more ambitious expansion program began. Terminals were refurbished and doubled in number in time for the Airline Deregulation Act and passenger numbers soared. Altair, Eastern Midway and US Airways all established hubs at PHL International in the 1980s, which moved it into the 10 busiest airports in the country.

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Airport facilities

Retail and restaurant availability at PHL has been relatively thin on the ground for many years, but on-going expansion work looks to improve that each year. If a good choice of food and shopping is an important factor in your trip, it's a good idea to leave a little extra time so you can reach other terminals and take advantage of everything on offer.

An unusual but welcome feature of the concessions program is an encouraged street pricing scheme, which guarantees shoppers their money back if they find the same product for less on the high-street. This helps keep prices down and passengers happy at the airport.

Information desks are spread across the terminals to help you find your way and answer questions, but if you have any inquiries in advance, particularly if you need to make arrangements for special assistance, contact the airport on +1 215-937-6937.

• Short-term parking

• Long-term parking

• Covered parking garages

• Electric vehicle charging

• Bicycle parking

• Cell phone lot

• Accessible parking

• Train and bus stations

• 24/7 free airport shuttle buses

• Rental car center

• Global Entry and TSA Precheck

• On-site airport hotel (Marriott)

• Hotels

• Hotel shuttles

• Airline lounges

• USO lounge

• Nap rooms

• Shopping

  • Duty free, gifts and souvenirs

  • Fashion, jewelry and apparel

  • Cosmetics

  • Gadgets, technology and entertainment

  • Books, candy and newsstands

• Drinks

  • Coffee shops

  • Juice bar

  • Bar

  • Wine bar

• Food

  • Fast food and snacks

  • American, Italian, Asian and Mexican food

  • Bakeries, desserts and yogurt

  • Food markets

  • Deli, sandwiches and subs

• Art program

• Spa

• Nursing rooms

• Children’s play area

• Pet relief areas

• Wheelchairs

• ATMs

• Currency exchange

• Workstations

• Free WiFi

• Postal services

• Lost and found

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Philadelphia Airport hotel and parking

An off-site parking option exists for PHL passengers at the airport hotels located nearby, many of which offer hotel and parking packages that are beneficial for travelers with late arrival or early departure times.

Familiar mid-range chain hotels including Best Western, Microtel and Days Inn offer free parking at their hotel lots for up to two weeks, so long as you spend at least one night at the hotel. So, if you're from out of town and taking the first flight or returning on the last, breaking up the journey with a good night’s rest and free parking for your car is a wonderfully convenient option.

All of the hotels provide a free, 24-hour, on-demand shuttle bus service between the airport and the hotel. Most of these packages require pre-booking but also offer free cancelations and, beyond the brand-name hotel chains, you can often find local independent hotels and motels with similar parking products.

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Top things to do in Philadelphia Airport

Enjoy the art collection

PHL Airport's art program is award-winning and nationally recognized for the visibility it provides to the Philadelphia's arts community. Running since 1998, it has shown over 300 exhibits from local and regional artists covering photography, sculpture, installation, film, design, painting and illustration.

Art is displayed on almost every spare surface across the various terminal buildings and connecting walkways and, whilst often contemporary in style, it also features classic fine art and photography depicting the history of Philadelphia.

Refresh with a spa, nap and rocking chair

PHL Airport offers the facilities for you to completely relax in an otherwise chaotic environment. The XpresSpas in Terminals C, D and F offer a range of massage and beauty treatments as well as shower facilities. A perfect follow-up is some time in the ultimate in private napping spaces at the Minute Suites miniature hotel in Terminal B.

The 13 private suites each include a daybed sofa, a sound-masking system to block out the noise of the airport, HD TV, workstation space, Internet access and a power-sleep audio program. Once you’re fully refreshed, you can wait for your flight to be called in the rocking chairs on the Terminal A-B Link, which offers a panoramic view of the United Airlines jets taxiing for take-off.

Explore the virtual library

If you login to the free airport WiFi, you may notice something interesting on the welcome splash page: content from the Free Library of Philadelphia. On a mission to advance literacy, the library partnered with PHL Airport to establish a virtual library that all passengers can access through the airport WiFi.

There’s a huge range of classic literature, free podcasts by famous authors and digital collections of photography and art – all for free.

Indulge in exceptional food

Some of the restaurants at Philadelphia Airport serve food that’s worth being delayed for – and there's something for everyone if you allow a little time to reach other terminals, as the offering varies in each one.

Chickie’s & Pete's provides the classic Philly sports bar atmosphere together with their famous crab fries in Terminals A, C, D and E, whilst Geno's in Terminals B and C has the legendary Philly cheesesteaks covered.

Sky Asian Bistro in Terminal C delivers fresh sushi carved to order, including unusual dishes like tako, ikura and madai and Caffe Aldo Lamberti Trattoria's Italian cuisine is within a stone’s throw in the same terminal.

Shop the airport mall at street prices

PHL International's Philadelphia Marketplace mall is made all the more attractive by their street pricing guarantee, which will refund your money if you find any product cheaper at any off-airport locations in the Philadelphia area.

The range of shopping includes many local stores, duty free and plenty of familiar brands including TUMI, Victoria's Secret, Body Shop, Swarovski, Solstice, Ruby Blue, Pandora, Johnston & Murphy, L'Occitane, Gap and Brooks Brothers.

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Top things to do near Philadelphia Airport

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Blessed with many amazing museums, Philadelphia's Museum of Art still stands out with its grand architecture, extensive gallery space and collection of almost a quarter of a million artworks from Europe, America and Asia.

Key collections include Asian paintings, sculpture, ceramics and architecture, early Renaissance European masterworks of French Impressionism with a focus on Rodin, along with exceptional collections of American art, particularly from the Pennsylvania region. There’s also a host of modern and contemporary work by Duchamp, Dali, Picasso, Metzinger and Jasper Johns.

You can enjoy a little pop culture, too, by following in Rocky Balboa’s footsteps on the east entrance stairs. Located close to the city center, the Museum of Art is a 10-mile (16-kilometer) drive from PHL.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Centrally located in the city just a 10-mile (16-kilometer) drive from PHL is an imposing castle-like structure that, when built, was the largest and most expensive public building ever constructed. Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary is a National Historic Landmark and fascinating museum; it has huge architectural significance for its innovative design, but is probably best known as the prison that once held Al Capone.

With guided tours and audio tours available at different times of year, the whole place has a unique atmosphere. There are some striking exhibits on the history of the prison, plus a few surprises in the range of art exhibits spread throughout the building.

Reading Terminal Market

The enclosed Reading Terminal Market in downtown Philadelphia hosts over a hundred traders every day of the week. Offering all kinds of fresh produce, specialty and ethnic foods, clothing, crafts and books, you'll find something amazing to smell or see every few footsteps.

The food is what the market is all about at heart, so it's advisable to visit hungry as there is an endless selection of fresh foods with influences from all over the world. The market offers a very different way to enjoy a meal of many portions and is just over 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from Philadelphia Airport.

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Built in the mid-1800s to become head church in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania. With the honor of having hosted two papal masses by Popes John Paul II and Francis, the cathedral is also on the National Register of Historic Places and situated about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Philadelphia International.

A stand-out piece of architecture in Philadelphia, the strong, fuss-free brownstone exterior opens into a stunning, intricately decorated interior of murals and portraits that create a potent spiritual atmosphere, whatever your beliefs.

Independence Hall

One of the most important historical sites in the USA is found just 12 miles (19 kilometers) from Philadelphia Airport; namely, Independence Hall, where the US Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were both debated and adopted. It is also often seen as the birthplace of the United Nations, which evolved from a 1915 convention forming the League to Enforce Peace, a precursor to the UN.

A relatively modest building considering the history it has witnessed, there are free guided tours that talk you through exhibits like the iconic Liberty Bell and describe the remarkable events that took place around you as a nation was brought to life.

Please Touch Museum

A great concept in interactive learning for children, the Please Touch Museum lives up to its name combining conventional displays with endless themed play areas, theater performances, art experiences and story times.

About 11 miles (18 kilometers) from Philadelphia International Airport, this is the perfect place to take young children to explore and enjoy. Arranged over two floors, this is more like a vast playhouse than a museum; children love it. There's parking on-site and the nearby museum café serves up tasty, simple, kid-friendly food.

Citizens Bank Park

Just six miles (10 kilometers) from Philadelphia Airport, just over the Girard Point Bridge, is Citizens Bank Park, the home of Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Phillies. Set within a sports complex that also includes Lincoln Financial Field and Wells Fargo Center, homes to NHL and NBA teams, “The Bank” is an all-round great few hours out with second-to-none sight lines, eye-opening views of the city and a welcoming family atmosphere. The one thing everyone remembers, though, is the food; restaurants and carts offer up Philadelphia classics like cheesesteaks, as well as more traditional baseball snacks like hot-dogs and sodas.

Geno's or Pat's Cheesesteaks

The cheesesteak is probably Philadelphia's best-known contribution to food and it's available all over the city, but two places have become famed as the must-sample cheesesteak kings. Pat's King of Steaks dates to the 1930s and is the original inventor of the sandwich, but immediately across the road, you’ll find Geno's Steaks, which was established in the 1960s. Geno’s claims to have perfected the recipe.

There's a different look and atmosphere to each store and they both offer a twist on the cheesesteak, which is a great excuse to try both and decide for yourself which is the best. You can find the two facing each other about 10 miles (16 milometers) from Philadelphia Airport, in the South Philadelphia area of the city.

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Which terminal?

PHL consists of six lettered terminals, though Terminal A is really two separate buildings designated east and west. Conveniently, all of the terminals are connected post-security to make it simple to move around when connecting flights or, of course, if you want to explore the concessions in other areas.

Shuttle bus services and walkways connect the terminals pre-security, with an automated people-mover system planned for 2022. Flight schedules at PHL are dominated by American Airlines, who fly from almost every terminal, whilst other carriers including the major and budget US airlines and a few international airlines are scattered across the other terminals.

The airlines currently offering public flights to and from Philadelphia Airport can be found on the Philadelphia Airport website.

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How to get to Philadelphia Airport

Car

One of the easiest airports in the US to find by road, PHL is located on the I-95 immediately south of Philadelphia. The I-95 connects the airport to East Coast cities including Wilmington, Trenton, Newark, Edison, New York, Washington DC and Baltimore.

The I-76 offers the ideal route into the airport from Lancaster and Harrisburg to the east, connecting with the I-95 on the southern edge of Philadelphia, which is just north of PHL.

Car rentals are available at the airport alongside a range of taxi, limousine and shared-ride services.

Bus

All public transport at PHL International is provided by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Three SEPTA bus routes stop at the airport running to South Philadelphia, Chester, 69th Street and Suburban Square in Ardmore.

The buses pick up at Zone 1 of the Arrivals Road, which is just outside baggage reclaim.

Train

SEPTA operates a rail service between the city center and airport terminals. Picking up from each lettered terminal, the train stops at various points on the way into Philadelphia's center and it's easy to connect with other routes on the SEPTA network along the way.

If your destination is beyond Philadelphia, it's also possible to connect with the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and Keystone Service or the NJ Transit Atlantic City Rail Line at 30th Street Station on the airport line.

Tickets are one-way and sold on-board, so you just need to let the conductor know your final destination.

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Useful tips

Book your parking in advance

The limited on-site airport parking has been known to regularly fill to capacity. Pre-booking an off-site valet, park and ride or hotel and parking service is often the only way to guarantee yourself a space connected to the terminals.

Give yourself time

Your experience through PHL will be greatly affected by the terminal you travel through; some can get overcrowded and offer very limited food and drink options, making for a poor experience. However, all the terminals are connected airside, so it's easy to enjoy everything the airport has to offer as long as you leave yourself extra time to get around.

Leave extra time for Terminal F

Set apart from the other terminal buildings, it takes a while to walk to Terminal F and many passengers fail to find the rail route or shuttle bus services that can shorten travel times. Be sure to leave yourself a little spare time to find your way there and, if required, to make it possible to get food at the other terminals.

Check for delays

The airport is close to capacity and often very busy, whilst flights can be affected by bad weather, so it's always worth checking ahead with the PHL website flight information service for delays so you can plan accordingly.

If you're delayed at the airport, explore it

Beyond the concessions, the airport is worth exploring if you have spare time as it features some genuinely magnificent architecture and artworks throughout its terminals, many of which depict the history of the city of Philadelphia.

Take advantage of the shortcuts

TSA Pre-check and the Global Entry program operate at PHL and can make short work of getting through the longest queues at the security checkpoints.

Get the best WiFi in an airline lounge

WiFi service quality can be slow at busy times, so if a quick connection is important to you, consider signing up for one of the airline lounges for a day pass, which gets you access to their separate WiFi network in a members-only lounge with free drinks and snacks.

Overnight delays and layovers

A Marriott hotel with an excellent restaurant and gym is located on-site, whilst many hotels in the area have a shuttle service available to and from the airport, so if you are caught overnight, there's no need to sleep rough there. If you do choose to sleep over, note that airside closes overnight so you will need to sleep pre-security with scarce food or drink options in the early hours. The airport does operate a hospitality program in the event of an overnight delay or cancelation by providing bedding and snacks.

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Philadelphia Airport FAQs

How much is parking at Philadelphia airport?

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Where to park at Philadelphia airport?

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Is there long term parking at Philadelphia airport?

Options for long term parking at Philadelphia can also be found by inputting your details for a quote. Depending on demand, long term parking can often fill quickly, so we always recommend pre-booking with a trusted comparison site.